A (Slightly) Less Normal Life

Desdemona stepped into view behind Simon. She was dressed in a floor-length ball gown and clutched a ragged teddy bear.

"Will the job include ... killing? Preferably moist, hot, yummy people with lots of salty, free-flowing blood?"

"Quite possibly yes, dearie. My first assignment for you is for tonight. I need to access an ancient ruin in the forest surrounding this town. It's guarded by an order of immortal ninja monks. The immortal bit is a wee bit of exaggeration though. They'll die just fine. As for your first payment, here it is." Miss Lucinda said and bags of freshly warmed blood appeared in both Simon's and Desdemona's hands.

-----

Right in the middle of Sylvia's moment of smugness, there was the sound of a small explosion from outside the bookstore.

"Oh my Me. What now?" Sylvia said, rolling her eyes dramatically. She glanced around to see if anyone else was going to see what had happened, but Cordelia was nowhere in sight and Matthias was still being verbally assaulted by Mandy Klew. "Guess it's up to me to go out there and make sure the town isn't being invaded by homicidal pepper-shaker aliens."

Bea fell into step behind Sylvia, reaching for one of her many daggers. She had only been in this town for a few days, but already she knew that loud unexplained noises in Ditto Town were rarely just a small animal knocking over a trashcan. Sylvia came to a halt in the doorway of the bookstore and Bea pushed past her to see what was going on.

"Okay, am I dreaming? Because right now I'm seeing Iron Man fighting the governor of California. Who's naked."

"No, it's definitely real. Except that's not Iron Man, that's Aaron, the village idiot/mad scientist."

"Does this happen regularly? Terminators randomly showing up and fighting wannabe superheroes in the streets?"

"Nah, only on Tuesdays," Sylvia replied, feigning boredom.

Bea winced in sympathy as the Terminator finally managed to grab ahold of Aaron's armored form and proceeded to bash him into the pavement repeatedly.

"Don't you think he could use a little help?"

"Nope, I'm good standing here. If we're lucky, robo-dude might rip his head off. Been awhile since we had a good beheading around here."

Bea shook her head in disgust and drew two of her knives, one for each hand. She ran toward the Terminator and circled around him, before approaching him from behind. Bea jumped into the air, twisting around as she passed over the Terminator. She drove her knives through the cyborg's eyes and landed on the ground, rolling away out of reach. The robot lurched around uncertainly with its visual ability lost.

"Does somebody have a gun or something?" Bea yelled, looking around for a new weapon.

"I've got something better," Cordelia commented, hurrying past Bea. She ducked around the Terminator's arms and slapped a hand on its side. The Terminator lurched forward one more step and then it began to dissolve. Within a few seconds, its legs were gone and it fell to the ground. No less than a minute after Cordelia had attacked the creature, there was nothing left but a few miscellaneous metal bits.

"Someone radiation-proof needs to dispose of the power core. Not taking any risks with setting off a nuclear explosion," Cordelia said. She was breathing hard and her skin was deathly pale.

"Are you okay?" Bea asked as she helped Cordelia to her feet.

"I'm okay. Just had to absorb a lot of energy to destroy that thing and I'm pretty much exhausted now."

As Cordelia limped toward the Realms, there was yet another crackling explosion noise. "Oh, what now!?" she complained.

Standing in the middle of another smoking crater in the street was yet another naked robot.

"Remind me to leave town next Tuesday," Bea said, pulling two more knives from sheathes in her boots.

"I have been sent from the future to protect John Connor. Where is John Connor?"

"At least this one is better looking than the last one. Seriously, why'd they give a robot some kind of freaky bloating disease?" Sylvia said, strolling out to the Ditto Towners gathered around the recent battle site.

"Pretty sure those were supposed to be muscles, Sylvia," Cordelia said patiently.

"So anyone know a John Connor? Anybody?"

"Considering that he's a fictional character, no I rather doubt it. Though these guys should be fictional too. Oy. I want to go home now."

Sylvia swatted at Aaron, who still clad in his suit of armor, had been fiddling with a weird looking gadget and waving it around the newest cyborg's head.

"What are you doing anyway?"

"Nothing!" Aaron said defensively, before hurrying off.

"One of these days we're probably going to have to kill that guy," Sylvia commented staring after Aaron and poking at the cyborg.

The cyborg's eyes suddenly flared red and he turned to stare at Sylvia.

"I have been sent from the future to be the boyfriend of Sylvia Riversong. Are you Sylvia Riversong?"

What happened next would cause some residents of Ditto Town to require extensive therapy to get over a sudden phobia of loud noises. Sylvia opened her mouth and screamed in pure rage. The sound was so loud that Bea and Cordelia were driven to their knees by the force. As the sound echoed through the town, every plant in Ditto Town withered up and died.

"YOU STUPID NO GOOD CHEATER!! THIS IS NOT WHAT I ASKED FOR!! I WANTED A REAL ONE!!!" Sylvia screamed at the sky. "ROBOTS DON'T COUNT!!! IF YOU EVER COME BACK HERE, I AM GOING TO TURN YOU INTO SOMETHING WORSE THAN A FROG!!!"

The nature goddess then stomped off back inside the bookstore, leaving the others to slowly uncurl themselves from their fetal balls.

The cyborg looked at them curiously and then followed after Sylvia. He vanished inside the Realms, only to reemerge in a compact ball of vines that rolled out the door and crashed into the building opposite.

Return of the Fountain Fellowship

Kay woke with a jolt to find the speeder stopping. Funny--she'd fallen asleep. Maybe severe trauma and fright could do that to a person, she thought as the memories of what had happened rushed back.

Slowly she straightened and stretched as best she could in the limited space that she had, and with handcuffs on, and looked about.

A (Slightly) Less Normal Life

Moira led the party through the streets of Ditto Town toward the Realms, not realizing that Jack had already sped away over rooftops in the opposite direction.

Pandora glowered at the door as it closed behind the last of the departing death god hunters.

"Moira may be my boss, but she can't tell me I'm not coming," Pandora muttered irritatedly.

The Eddisian teenager stalked back into the bakery and into the staff room. She dug a backpack from her locker and began changing into darker, more form-fitting clothes. The last additions were a mask for her face and a dagger buckled at her waist. Pandora inspected herself in a mirror and then slipped out of the bakery's back door. Within seconds, she was also racing across rooftops.

-----

Jedi Master Aloysius Vendar stepped back and his face briefly registered surprise as the belligerent Force User ignited his lightsaber.

"I should warn you before we begin this pointless display of testerone-fueled foolishness that I am a Jedi Counselor. You are no match for me."

Ana was absorbed in watching the conflict when Caedan returned.

"Um, not sure. I bet you five credits whatshisname takes Vendar down in less than a minute."

-----

Bea knelt beside the entangled Terminator and attempted to tear the vines off of him.

"What are these things?" the vampire slayer asked, frowning at them. Even with her enhanced strength, she couldn't even slightly tear the vines.

"Sylvia made them. Means they're a psychic construct. They won't break easily. This might help though," Cordelia said. She opened her mouth and exhaled loudly. A pulse of energy shot out of her mouth and slammed into the vines, withering and burning them. There was a shriek of outrage from inside the bookstore and the silence.

"He's going to need some clothes," Bea said as she helped the Terminator to his feet.

"Why?" the cyborg asked, seemingly unphased by the experiences of the last few minutes.

"Because civilized people wear clothing. And anatomically correct robots. You'll give some old woman a heart attack," Cordelia replied. She ripped a strip of cloth from the hem of her dress and made a few vague gestures over it. The cloth shimmered and transformed into a sort of kilt type thing. "Put this one. Do you have a name?"

The Terminator stared at the clothing in befuddlement and replied," I am a reprogrammed T-888 model. I have been sent here from the future to be the boyfriend of Sylvia Riversong."

"We got that the first time, Tin Man. And you put your legs through it and pull it up to your waist."

"Why did Sylvia Riversong reject me?" the Terminator asked after he managed to put his kilt on.

Cordelia's expression softened as she stared at the cyborg.
"Poor guy, you don't know anything about wooing a woman, do you? We'll have to teach you."

"Are you serious? He's a robot, this is not going to turn out well. It'll be like Romeo and Juliet, only with entrails and bullet holes everywhere."

Bea's skepticism fell on deaf ears. Despite the fact that Cordelia had never seen Bea before, she seemed determined to draft the Slayer in her quest.
"Okay, Mr. T-888. My name is Cordelia and we're going to train in the fine art of winning a goddess' heart (if she has one). Follow me."

Sylvia stared out the bookstore's front window as Bea, Cordelia, and the Terminator headed off down the street out of sight.

"Who does she think she is?! He's my freaky robot boyfriend," Sylvia sulked.

Vayond: The Shadowed Hunters

Dalin balanced gracefully on the terrace, almost level with the lighted window. His fingers deafly un-latched the window, and he waited in the silence, listening. The light glowed warmly, but no sound emitted from inside. Strange...they can not suspect we are coming...Gabriel should have by now slaughter all of those who were in they in he breathed shallowly denying that anything could have gone wrong. For what could? No prey had ever escaped their grasp, neither would these. He waited for a few minutes longer before releasing Akar from the folds of his cloak. He glanced back to Jaugar and Rokard, who were also ready, poised and waiting. He then smile and stood to his full height, a tall 6'3, and swung the windows open, sliding in like a black shadow..

******

Susanne laid in a restless dream, exhaustion, being overpowered by the pulls and vivid feelings of the dreams that led her mind. They were almost real, each recalling a different version of the past days...the world was shimmery and ethereal with loud noises, and wolves howling in the distance. The hunters were like phantoms and she was their prey. Their long fingers clawed at her dress, ripping long strips of pale clothe, colored in reds and greens. She screamed, but it was only in her dream. Outwardly, it showed no signs of her even dreaming. She laid still, her face a mask of fear and tiredness. The others in the room looked down upon her and conversed in quiet tones.

Suddenly, her dream, raging inside, switched. It changed from the past to suddenly the present. Scenes flashed before her eyes, and she flinched and tried to shield her eyes from a light that bombarded her. Then at once she was in the down stairs of a tavern (It looked to be the one she had been in, but she had barely even gotten a glimpse of it). People were being slaughtered, she heard their dieing cries, and saw blood go every where. She called out to the man who was punishing all these people by the sword, and he turned. When she saw his face it was like a skeleton, decaying and ferocious. She shrieked and ducked in terror as he flew over her and up the stairs. Then she was pushed up and into a room. People were standing all around staring at her, lying sleeping on a bed. Then she heard a noise...a scratching clicking sound coming from the window hidden in deep shadows...walking slowly over to it she put her face to the cold pane and stared out into the voice of another hunter. His face too was of something dead, he growled and yelled but it came out more as a wail. Stumbling back, she felt close to fainting and cried "Their coming!!!"

Susanne began moving on the bed, whimpering and wiggling making noises and mumbling in coherently. Some of them stared at her, wondering if she was dreaming or wakening. Then after a few minutes of this, she shot up in bed, her eyes barely slits, but her arms extended. Tears were on her cheeks and she cried softly "Their coming! Their coming!!! We must escape....they're coming! Their going to kill us all!"

(((OOC: Sorry for the long delay in posts. We had to figure out what was going to happen. Also, a note for they above post. The part in italics is her dream )))

Vayond: The Shadowed Hunters

Edmund rushed to her side. "Thy fair lady having a nightmare, I assume? Well, if we don't hurry and get out of here, it will become a reality. Already I can hear them closing in. Why are we just standing here? I can probably smite them all with my sword!" He got out his shiny sword, Medalon. "For defeating the Hunters. Who's with me?"

Return of the Fountain Fellowship

The Fred looked back at her "Take a good look around you girl, you've been graced by being allowed to see the great capitol of this planet" he said with fake grin before getting out of the speeder, walking around and opening her door.

---

Cale looked over at Raven, and said "Here's the story in short, years ago Dittotopia was taken over by the Mosteropils senate, they killed the Jedi, drove the autobots out and exterminated the Fountain Fellowship. Our little group here has our own problems with the Senate, which to avoid unnessesary pain I will not bring up here, is that good enough?"

---

Stretch prepared to walk down the steps to the main door when he heard knocking on the door "Open up in the name of the law!" the men yelled, Stretch ran to the window and opened it "Are your booster rockets still working?" he asked while Scrappy beeped yes.

Stretch leaned out the window, holding Scrap who fired the boosters and went out into open air before landing gently on the ground. Stretch got off before geting in a random speeder, scrap joined him and they flew away.

A (slightly) less normal life

Matthew rolled his eyes before saying "Whatever, bookworm" he said snarkingly, then fell into the opening stance of Form Five, his prefered lightsaber combat style.

Vayond: The Shadowed Hunters

Micah was shocked when the girl suddenly awoke, her half-opened eyes blazing with as much fear and urgency as her voice. Normally, he may have paused and waited for more confirmation that they were in danger; but something about her eyes and tone of voice denied any questioning. She somehow knew more than they did; though logic would deny it, it was clear to Micah in that instant that she was right, and they did have to escape quickly.

Edmund had already drawn his sword courageously, and was speaking with gushing valor. "For defeating the Hunters. Who's with me?" He cried.

"All men who wish to be dead, that's who," Micah retorted quickly. "I'd like to stand against them as well, but we have no chance of survival. They'll kill us all if we don't escape now. They have every advantage conceivable, and we are like trapped rats here. It's not the time nor place for battle." He turned to the girl, and tried to help her up. "Can you walk?"

-------

Rokard watched the dark form of his leader climb stealthily up the side of the inn, following close behind with Jaugar. The trio made it to the terrace with no more noise than the moon makes when it rises. Dalin drew his dark sword, and Rokard removed his long halberd from his back. The time of death was come. In a few moments they would slaughter their enemies, and their quest would be fulfilled. His heart beat at its normal steady pace, as he prepared to do what was to him a normal, every day job. Spilling blood was no different for him than felling trees was for a forester.

And tonight, so many trees would fall.

Return of the Fountain Fellowship

"I'm good," Raven said. She would have liked things a little clearer, but it was plain this group already had something they needed to get to, and she was quite happy to let them get to it. Hopefully, helping Kay would be part of it.

She hoped there would be a chance for her to get involved at some point. She still was not happy about her interrupted breakfast.

Return of the Fountain Fellowship

"Oh." said Kay, mustering up some defiant sarcasm, "I just thought it was an uncommonly ugly building." She scooted (with some difficulty) out of her seat and onto the pavement. Then she waited to follow him. Or something.

Vayond: The Shadowed Hunters

Jarien was still whispering with the blacksmith when the girl in the bed sat bolt upright and began crying that something, or someone, was coming.

At that moment, he knew that something was wrong. He didn't know how, but he knew. The fear in the girl's eyes, and the way she pleaded spoke of a fear beyond imagining. To him, for years, the hunters were but a rumor, a word whispered in the dark of the night or to scare children... but now he wondered if they might be real.

Then something else hit him, or rather hit his ears...nothing. He realized suddenly that the normal sounds of the tavern on the lower floor were non existent, simply not there.

As the blacksmith moved over to the girl, and the rash young man drew his sword, Jarien dashed over and pulled the door to the room shut, and bolted it. "There is a trapdoor in the corner, under the dresser... it leads down a ladder between the walls to a storage room in the cellar." Then his mind clicked, "Adi!" he whispered, "She went downstairs..."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

As Adi mounted the ladder leading back to the main floor of the Inn, there was a sudden flurry of noises above her. She heard the sound like softly booted feet dashing back and forth. There were several sickening thuds, and the sound of a full glass of liuid hitting the floor, then silence.

She bit her lip for a moment, then slowly pushed the trapdoor up, just a crack to peek out. The sight that met her eyes made her gasp and nearly drop the box of herbs, the entire group of people that were in the inn were sprawled out all over, bleeding, dying, or dead.

She was about to finish ascending into the carnage, when she caught site of a shadow moving toward and up the stairs. Thinking that it was most likely the person that had done this, she ducked back down, and climbed down the ladder.

She sat, putting the box next to her, and breathed hard for a moment, trying to figure out what to do next.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jaegar waited for Dalin to ascend to the second floor window first, then swung himself up after him. He closed his eyes and took deep breaths, preparing himself for the coming action, the killing. His eyes snapped open, revealing that Dalin had drawn his sword and was moving ahead. He reached into his sleeve and drew out his blade that he kept hidden there, it was of medium length, curved and very sharp.

Then he waited.

((((OOC: Please guys, call Jaegar by his name, JAEGAR, not JAGUAR!!!))))

Vayond: The Shadowed Hunters

When Dalin slipped in, all there was was silence. His breathe was short, restrained and quiet. Ever muscle tightened and spasmed as he approached the fluttering crimson curtain in front of him. Akar rose above his head, in preparation to slice through the thin material. But his mind screamed other than calm. It called warning; the quiet and darkness were unusual. Something was wrong...had they escaped? Impossible...If Gabriel has done his job they would never have slipped past him... with a slight growled he suddenly plunged forward and cut down the curtain, staring with shear anger at the empty room in front of him.

*******

Susanne looked into Micah's dark eyes, her own blue ones, filled with desperation and fear. Exhaustion hung thick in her voice as she whispered "I don't know..." it came out with a slight groan, as he lifted her. She was grateful for his strength, and took his help readily. She glanced toward the window fervently, whimpering as though recalling something about it. "Their coming. We must hurry please!" dark sacks hung under her eyes and she could barely keep her eyes lids from drooping.

(((OOC: Just want to let you know, clearly that Dalin is coming into the same room about two minutes after they have already escaped ))

Vayond

Edmund rushed out with the others. "OKay, "Now where?" This question shocked him. Usually he had just the idea of where to go.

Vayond: The Shadowed Hunters

Micah descended down the secret passage with the others, helping the girl as best as he could in the narrow space. It took a few tense moments, but finally they were all out of the room, and the door was shut above them. Micah helped the young woman down the last few rungs as she nearly collapsed. Edmund asked what they should do next, and Micah honestly had no answer.

"It seems we're in the cellar... Is there another way out, or should we hide?"

-------

Rokard knew even before he entered that the room was empty. First off, he had noticed that it was much too silent. Secondly, no one screamed when Dalin entered; and thirdly, the swift sound of Akar slicing through flesh and bone never came. So when Rokard sauntered through the torn curtains and into a room which had recently been occupied but no longer was, he wasn't suprised at all.

He checked himself for anger or frustration, making sure the emotions didn't crop up and cloud his mind. He never knew them to help in situation's like this; it was smarter to find a solution as soon as possible, to appease his leader. So Rokard narrowed his eyes, focused his mind, and examined the room. Finally, he strutted across the room, swung his halberd in a wide arc, and embedded the blade into an ornate dresser. "This has been moved recently," Rokard announced without any doubt tinging his voice. He pointed at the wall just a few feet over from the dresser. "It's clean. Like it was covered up before."

(((Sorry WON... I'll be sure to spell Jaegar right from now on )))

Vayond: The Shadowed Hunters

Gabriel heard voices inside the room, and no body was dying from the sound of it. He opened the door to find Dalin and the others in the room, no dead people on the floor "What the heck happened?" he asked as he looked around "where are they?" he asked before Rokard pointed out a most intriguing fact.

"Well then, its been moved" he said in a a most 'well duh' voice he could muster before throwing his weight against the dresser and pushing it away from the wall, revealing the trap door.

Vayond

Edmund followed his friends into he trapdoor, wondering why they weren't doing anything. He wasn't afraid. He would take down one hunter if he got the hunter alone. "We need to come up with a plan," he whispered. He wanted os badly to be in charge, but sighed and decided he would have to follow instructions.